Consumer type container



Jan. 20, 1953 c. BROOKS CONSUMER TYPE CONTAINER Filed Oct. 29 948 K Q/ zs Q-I' Jan. 20, 1953 L. c. BROOKS 2,626,095

CONSUMER TYPE CONTAINER Filed Oct. 29, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 LHHWHW )5 i h.. 9 1m! mull! l 7) illllluln n..

I 1! I'IIHIIII Q 351 ems Qfzuak s W Jan. 20, 1953 L, c, oo s 2,626,095

CONSUMER TYPE CONTAINER Filed Oct. 29, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 44 -r' l K 45 44 K Amway 45 Patented Jan. 20, 1953 CONSUMER TYPE CONTAINER Lewis 0. Brooks, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor of one-third to Ira Milton Jones, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application October 29, 1948, Serial No. 57,356

1 Claim.

This invention relates to consumer type containers for the packaging of household commodities and foods, and has more particular reference to containers made of flexible sheet materials such as fiber, paper and the like similar to those described in Patent No. 2,398,404, issued to Lewis C. Brooks, April 16, 1946, and in the copending application of Lewis C. Brooks, Serial No. 741,903, filed April 16, 1947, now abandoned.

Two important objectives are sought to be achieved in the design of paper containers of this type, namely, the elimination of wasted material in cutting the blanks from which such containers are formed and the provision of sufiicient rigidity in the assembled container to enable it to withstand handling by automatic filling and closing machines as well as impacts incident to its transportation and use.

In the aforesaid Patent No. 2,398,404 these objectives havebeen achieved in a three-piece container design, wherein the body is made from one blank and each end closure from a separate blank. The blank from which the body of said container is fashioned is almost perfectly rectangular so that practically no waste material results from cutting it from the supply roll, and

the end closures are likewise substantially rec- I tangular in shape.

Rigidity i achieved in the container of Patent No. 2,398,404 by the provision of a ledge or rim- 7 like shoulder integral with the body side walls and extending around each end of the body. This shoulder is formed by folding the marginal edge portions of the body blank inwardly and downwardly, and the upper surface of this shoulder provides a relatively wide ledge adapted to receive a suitable adhesive whereby the marginal edge portions of the end closures can be secured to the ends of the body. Aside from this function of providing an excellent seating surface for the end closure discs, the shoulders also impart a very considerable rigidity to the finished container.

In the container of the aforesaid copending application, Serial No. 741,903, economy of material as well as convenience in transporting and assembling of the container is achieved by forming the entire container from a single substantially rectangular blank. A rim-like shoulder or truss is likewise provided at each end of the body portion of the container, extending around three sides thereof, while relatively large flaps, extending from opposite ends of the fourth side or" the body and integral with the body portion, are foldable downwardly onto the shoulders, to which they are suitably flatwise secured to provide leakproof end closures.

While they very closely approached the achievement of the two objectives set forth above, each of the two containers just described had certain disadvantages. That of Patent No. 2,398,404 had separate end closure portions which, because of their relatively small dimensions and the fact that they were not integral with the body portion of the container, were more difficult to handle and required more complicated forming and sealing machinery than would have been the case had they been integral with the body blank or with some portion of the body forming member.

The container of application Serial No. 741,903, while it overcomes these disadvantages, has its rim-like closure supporting and reinforcing ledge extending only around three sides of the foursided body, leaving the fourth side wall of the body without reinforcing unless a fifth panel having similar shoulders was added to the blank. Obviously, the provision of such a fifth panel increases the cost of materials considerably.

By contrast it is an object of this invention to provide a consumer type container of generally improved construction but in which sturdiness, rigidity, and economy of materials are retained.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a consumer type container of the character described which may be assembled from two relatively large blanks each rectangular in shape.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of a two blank consumer type container of the character described having ledges or so called truss shoulders around three sides of each of the ends thereof and also along portions of the edges of the fourth side to thus provide an extremely secure and completely sealed end closure and an assembled container which will be very rigid and capable of withstanding relatively severe abuse.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a container of the character described formed from only two blanks, but which may be partially fabricated and shipped in the fiat in relatively compact bundles.

Another and very important object of this invention resides in the provision of an unusually economical consumer type container which may be formed up by means of simple and inexpensive machinery.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds,

this invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claim, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claim.

The accompanying drawings illustrate two complete examples of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed in accordance with the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a consumer type container fabricated in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the two blanks from which the container of Figure l is formed;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the other blank from which the container ofFigure 1 is formed;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the blanks shown in Figures 2 and 3 in their proper relative positions for assembly into a complete container;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the blanks of Figures 2 and 3 assembledand folded for shipn e;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a modified-embodiment of the containerof this invention; and

Figure 7 is a plan view of the blank corre- The container is fabricated from two blanks,

one of which may be termed a'rectangular body blank I 2 (see Figure 2). The blank I2 is out and scored to provide three of the container side walls b, 7 and 8, together with a pair of glue flaps .2I and 22 to which the fourth side wall of the container is adapted to be secured. The three walls 6, I, and '8 are formed from three laterally adjacent wall panels I8, I9 and 25, respectively, defined by four score lines I i, I5, I6 and I1 transverse to the longer dimension of the blank. The two glue flaps 2I and 22 are respectively defined by the score lines It and I7 and the side edges 23 of the blank, and these flaps extend across the entire blank at each end thereof.

A closure supporting ledge or shoulder i3 extends around'each end of the body member, and to provide these shoulders the body blank 32 is cut and scored in a manner similar to that described in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,398,404. Briefly, the shoulders I3 are formed by bending the upper and lower marginal edge portions of the blank I2 inwardly and downwardly along a plurality of spaced score lines 24, and 23 perpendicular to the side wall defining scores It and I7, and extending across the ends of the glue flaps 2| and 22 so as to enable the shoulder to be formed on said flaps as well as the remainder of the blank.

The horizontal'shelf-like surfaces of the end closure supporting shoulders I3 are formed from the strips or panels 21, which are defined by the score lines 24 and 25 and are thus immediately adjacent to the ends of the side-wall-forming 7 panels I8, 19 and 2d 'of the body blank. The panels 21 are bent inwardly at right angles to the side wall panels when the blank is formed up into the assembled container. The intermediate shoulder forming strips or panels 23, defined by the score lines 25 and 26 are adapted to be folded downwardly and inwardly therefrom to provide trusses 29 which serve to support the ledge forming panels 21.

The outermost strips or panels 39, defined by the outermost score lines :26 and the top and bottom edges 3| of the body blank, are adapted to be folded vertically downwardly and to be secured to the inner surfaces of their adjacent side walls.

Substantially diamond-shaped cutouts 32 are provided at the junctions of the score lines 25 with each of the side wall defining scores I4, I5, 15, and I! to provide mitered corners at the points where the shoulder forming panels 21 are folded. Thus the closure supporting ledges or shoulders may be formed by folding the respective panels 2], 28 and 30 while the blank is in the fiat, securing the panels .30 to the inner surfaces of their respective adjacent side wall portions. Thereafter the body blank is bent into a substantially U-shaped channel, with the three panels I8, I9, and 20 respectively forming the sides 6, 1 and 8 of the assembled container. The glue flaps 2I and 22 then extend inwardly from the side walls 3 and 8 respectively, perpendicular to them, as seen in Figure 4. In .other words, the formed body blank I2 will resemble the completed container, having truss shoulders atits-ends but lacking end closures and a fourth or rear wall .9.

The fourth wall of the complete container is provided by the second blank 34 (see Figure '3) which for convenience may be designated'the end closure forming blank. This latter blank comprises an elongated rectangular strip having a width corresponding to the width of the front panel I of the container and having a pair of spaced score lines 35 and 35 extending transverse- 1y across it to define integral end closure panels 31 and 38 and a medial panel 33 which provides the fourth or rear wall 9 of the assembled container.

When the body portion of the container has been folded and secured in the manner described above, the marginal side edge portions of the medial panel 39 of the end closure blank .34 are secured by means of a suitable adhesive to the outer surface of the gluefiap panels 2| and 22 to thereby complete the tubular body portion of the container. One endclosure panel .38 is folded perpendicularly inwardly along the score line 36 and its marginal edge portions are adhered to the ledge forming portions I3 around the bottom edge of the container body to thus provide the bottom wall I I of the container.

The container may then be filled and thereafter the remaining endclosure panel 31 may be folded into position along .the score line and may have its free marginal edges secured to the ledge formingportions I'3 at'theupper end of the body to thus completely seal up the container.

As will be seen by reference to Figure 5 the container of this 'inventionlends itself readily to shipping in partially assembled form. For this purpose the ledge forming panels may be folded fiatwise along a'line intermediate'the score lines 24 and 25 after the outermost shoulder forming panel 30 has been secured to the inner surface of the side wall forming panels of the body blank. This construction is more fully described in the copending application of .LewisC. Brooks, Serial No. 741,903, filed April 16,1947. The end closure forming panel may be secured to the glue flaps 2I and 22 as above described and the entire container so assembled may be folded as, for example, along the score lines I4 and IE, to enable it to be shipped in the flat in extremely compact form.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 6, which is particularly well adapted for the packaging of frozen foods, the body forming blank I2 is very much elongated to provide a low, relatively flat container, and the end closure forming blank is provided with narrow auxiliary flap portions 40 and 4! around its marginal edges. These flap portions are defined from the side and end closure forming panels 39, 31 and 38 respectively by score lines 42 and 43 spaced inwardly from the edges of the blank and parallel thereto. It will be seen that When the marginal edge portions of the end closure blank are folded along said score lines 42 and 43 the flap portions 40 and 4| may be secured to the top and bottom of the side walls 6, I and 8 of the container to thereby provide additional seal against sifting of the contents Or the entry of air or moisture into the container. To facilitate folding and securing the flap portions 40 and 4| onto the sides of the container, slits 44 are cut into the sides of the blank at the four corners thereof and in line with the score lines 35 and 36. These slits provide tabs 45 which are bent around the corners as shown.

In the frozen food container illustrated, maximum space in the interior of the container is obtained by reinforcing and. closure supporting ledges l3 of L shape, the shoulders being formed as described at length in the aforementioned Patent No. 2,398,404.

It should also be noted that because of the rigidity provided by the body portion of the container and by the two side flap arrangement, the end closure blank may be fabricated from somewhat lighter stock than the body blank to thereby effect additional economy of materials.

From the foregoing description taken together with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent that this invention provides an improved consumer type container which will be extremely sturdy and rigid, but which will at the same time be economical to manufacture since it will be formed entirely from a pair of very nearly rectangular blanks. The container of this invention will also be particularly easy and convenient to form up since it will not involve *any relatively small pieces.

What I claim as my invention is:

A water-vapor proof consumer type fiber container suitable for packaging foods, comprising: a tubular body member having straight substantially fiat sides defined by an imperforate front wall panel, two imperforate side wall panels integral with and extending back from the side edges of the front wall panel, and two inner back wall panels integral with the side wall panels and extending toward each other from the back edges of the side wall panels; top and bottom supporting shoulders integral with and projecting in from all of said panels, said shoulders comprising ledge forming portions bent in from the top and bottom edges of said panels and perpendicular thereto and extending continuously along the top and bottom edges of each panel, and reinforcing portions bent back from the free edges of the ledge forming portions, said reinforcing portions each having a part thereof lying fiat against and adhered to the inner face of the adjacent panel; the shoulders being mitered and abutting tightly at the corners of the container so that the outer faces of the shoulders on adjacent panels are flush with one another and whereby said shoulders provide continuous flat ledges extending along the top and bottom edges of all of said panels and around all corners of the tubular body member; the inner back wall panels and the shoulders thereon being considerably longer than the Width of the shoulders on the side wall panels so that the shoulders on said inner back wall panels afford considerable back wall reinforcement; an outer back wall panel adhesively secured to the inner back wall panels and extending to the side wall panels; top and bottom closures of a size and shape to fiatwise overlie the outer faces of the shoulders at the top and bottom of the container adhesively secured to said outer faces, said top and bottom closures respectively being hinged to the top and bottom of the outer back wall panel; the entire body member being formed from one cut and scored rectangular blank; and the outer back wall panel and the top and bottom closures being formed from another cut and scored rectangular blank.

LEWIS C. BROOKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 347,646 Schmidt Aug. 17, 1886 1,572,296 Kramer Feb. 9, 1926 2,203,127 Borah June 4, 1940 2,209,796 Snelling July 30, 1940 2,321,536 Wells June 8, 1943 2,398,404 Brooks Apr. 16, 1946 

